[d20903]

i started a new topic to break it down because i really need help so this is the deal :
I got the car everything is fine then about a month later the battery drains i get it jumped the guy that gave me the jump said it might be acting like this cause its been sitting for so long so he told me too drive it more often so i did next day it wouldnt start i got it jumped took it to the auto advance got a new battery tested the old battery and it was deas so i guessed must orf been a bad battery
4-5 days later i tried to start it and it wasnt happening took it to the cadillac shop and he said everythings fine he charged the battery and no problems i told him to keep the car for a couple more days because it will drain . Sure enough it drained then he said he couldnt find now draw he ran his test and he thinks its the battery so he put a new battery then when i went to go pick the car up he said they had to jump it it was like 4 days after he put the new battery in he said he'll let the forman of the shop look at it so he did and they came up wit a idea it was a bad battery they put in then they said it was fine then thursday i was suppose to pick it up and he said it drained again he said it might be something on the dash stasyin on that was draing the battery then i called today they said they think its the battery again ?
WHAT SHOULD I DO PLEASE HELP?

 

[Ranger]

3 bad batteries in a row? Kind of hard to believe. Don't know what to tell you, but something else is in play here.

 

[jasper60103]

All I can say is I feel for you.
Reminds me when I had an Olds Calais.
I went through several alternators before getting a good one.
That car left me stranded in the road twice. I almost cried.
Thankfully, my FIL went to the auto parts with me (raised hell) and
they refunded my money. Then he found me a quality rebuilt alternator that lasted for years.

 

[codewize]

I told you how to solve this.

First off, is it consistent. I mean after 4 days of sitting is it guaranteed that the battery will be drained.

If it is then it's easy to diagnose. This may seem like a old school solution or a primitive method but for the lack of better tools it will work. You're going to have to commit to laying the car up until it's resolved though.

Park the car, open the fuse box and pull the first fuse. let the car sit for 4 days. Is the battery dead, if no then replace that fuse and pull the next. If yes then you know what circuit your problem is on. You could also do 2 or three at a time to speed up the process.

Without having your hands on the proper equipment, this is a sure fire way to find the drain. If for some reason you replace the alternator, which it could be, get an AC Delco form the dealer. They're expensive but worth every penny.

 

[d20903]

I told you how to solve this.

First off, is it consistent. I mean after 4 days of sitting is it guaranteed that the battery will be drained.

If it is then it's easy to diagnose. This may seem like a old school solution or a primitive method but for the lack of better tools it will work. You're going to have to commit to laying the car up until it's resolved though.

Park the car, open the fuse box and pull the first fuse. let the car sit for 4 days. Is the battery dead, if no then replace that fuse and pull the next. If yes then you know what circuit your problem is on. You could also do 2 or three at a time to speed up the process.

Without having your hands on the proper equipment, this is a sure fire way to find the drain. If for some reason you replace the alternator, which it could be, get an AC Delco form the dealer. They're expensive but worth every penny.

i dont have the car its in the shop and yes i even told the service guy no im not gonna take the car when he said they fixed the problem cause i knew it was gonna drain and it did drain

 

[chubbyranger]

Problem is that there's about 300 things it could be. One thing to check is the reserve accessory power. Start the car, leave the radio on and turn the engine off and take the key out. DO NOT open a door. Reach through an open window if you do not want to sit in the car. If the radio does not shut off in ~10-20 minutes there's your problem. Another test: with the car off, leave the trunk open and check and see if the trunk light is on ~30 minutes later. If its still on that's a problem. Either of those problems could be bad relays stuck on. Alternator is another possibility. Disconnnect it, leave the car and see if the battery drains.

 

[Ranger]

Good thought. RAP (Retained Accessory Power) shuts down after :10 min.

 

[d20903]

thanks alot im gonna ask the technician to check it out thanks chubby i hope one of these things are the problem thanks alot ill keep u informed

 

[dkozloski]

You need to be using a clamp-on current adapter on a DVM with a data logging capability. Put the adapter on the negative lead right at the battery. It will instantly become intuitively obvious to the most casual observer where the current is going when you try your combinations of circumstances.

 

[d20903]

ok i jus heard from the technician they said they checked all the things and i brought up what u guys suggested he said something is comming on for a certain time then goes off and they still havent figured it out yet how long is this gonna take to find a intemittent problem like this ?

 

[Playdrv4me]

// Punctuation... Please Use It.

 

[d20903]

^^^^^^^^^ ok ?